Nicolas Aube-Kubel is headed overseas next season.
According to Sport-Express’ Mikhail Zislis, per a Google Translate translation, the former Washington Capitals forward has “agreed to all details” of a KHL contract with Dinamo Minsk.
Aube-Kubel split last year between the Minnesota Wild and the AHL’s Iowa Wild, recording two assists in six NHL games and posting 37 points (15g, 22a) in 62 AHL games. Until now, his entire professional career has been in North America, seeing NHL action for the Capitals, Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche, Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, and New York Rangers.
While with the Capitals for two seasons, Aube-Kubel picked up one of his biggest fans, captain Alex Ovechkin‘s oldest son, Sergei. Ovechkin revealed that not he, but Aube-Kubel was his son’s favorite player at a 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend press conference. During his first season away from Washington, NAK signed a photo for Sergei after playing against the Caps with the Sabres.
Aube-Kubel will join a Dinamo team stacked with a few familiar faces, as he was in the Capitals’ organization at the same time as Sam Anas, Alex Limoges, and Zach Fucale. He was also a teammate of Limoges on the Bears for a short stint during the 2023-24 campaign.
Anas was presented the KHL’s Top Scorer Award after recording 89 points (32g, 57a) this past year and re-formed an impressive connection with Limoges, who tallied 73 points (24g, 49a) in 68 games. Other North American players on the team’s roster include Chris Tierney, Ty Smith, Xavier Ouellet, Nicolas Meloche, Brady Lyle, and Joshua Brook.
This past season, Dinamo finished second in the KHL’s Western Conference with a 39-19-10 record. They swept Dynamo Moscow in the first round of the playoffs, but were then swept themselves by Ak Bars Kazan in the second round.
